‘Game of Maths’: Schools attempt to gamify teaching but challenges remain

The cost factor also influences the decision maker to postpone the revamp of teaching methods.

As Western countries look to gamify school curricula and training methods, some Indian schools are joining in.

The pedagogy at these schools is being redesigned, keeping in mind the evolving need of students amid the tech disruption, mostly seen in exposure to smartphones. Gamifying education means incorporating aspects of gaming, like rewards, interactivity, unlocking levels, etc.

While teaching mathematics, Aditya Birla World Academy tried to gamify models, considering the age, interests and preferences of the students. They used engaging activities such as 'Treasure Hunt' for topic revision, the 'Game of Nim' to introduce mathematical induction, and card games to teach probability.

The process

Teachers of different subjects collaborate and share their insights and expertise to develop subject-specific gamification strategies. This collaborative planning ensures a cohesive approach throughout the school. The school also applied gamification to the process of creating a robot for specific classes.

Prodipta Hore, Program Director, Aditya Birla Education Academy and Head of International Initiatives, Aditya Birla World Academy said the challenges ranged from designing and virtual simulations to interactive tutorials and robot performance competitions.

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Similarly, within the middle and senior year curricula at Shiv Nadar School, gamification is being brought in through assessment and feedback channels, continuing the digital gamification for formative assessment through the pandemic years.

“If you look at our junior math programme, which is based on constructivist pedagogy, it uses an innovative approach to teaching mathematics that emphasises hands-on learning and experiential activities,” said Shashi Banerjee, Director of Education of Shiv Nadar School, adding that it makes math more accessible and engaging by utilising games, interactive techniques and manipulatives.

However, she added that gamification could not just be a standalone integration into the curriculum and must be seamlessly integrated into a level-wise structured progression of knowledge for learners.

Challenges remain

Despite some schools moving towards making the curricula more engaging, the challenges remain in continuing the trajectory. Ranging from lack of infrastructure to scarcity of qualified teachers, institutes hope government-industry partnerships can resolve the issues.

“Schools affiliated with Indian education boards are challenged both in terms of large student strengths as well as financial support. A CBSE/ICSE classroom has a range of 35-45 students per class, making it challenging for a teacher to invest deeply in every pupil or focus on diverse teaching methodologies,” said Pankaj Sharma, President, The Lexicon Group of Institutes and CMD, MultiFit.

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Even though Lexicon is affiliated with the CBSE national curriculum, Sharma said it consistently trains its teachers with the latest advancements in pedagogy and new teaching tools driven by games, role-plays, contests, teamwork, solution-focused design thinking, and performance-inspired learning.

“This inspiration from the gamification has allowed us to enrich our children with more play-based learning without taxing our teachers with the additional burden of redesigning their classrooms entirely,” he added.

The cost factor also influences the decision maker to postpone the revamp of teaching methods.

“The cost of setting up a VR lab is approximately $30,000-$1 million as a ballpark figure. This does not include the cost of training, air conditioning, headsets, etc,” Shiv Nadar School’s Banerjee said, adding that there is a very low tangibility of visible learning outcomes both to the parent and the facilitator because of trust and mindset issues.